


Searching for the Second Ending

by Soliya



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Post ep-24
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-09 09:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4342319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soliya/pseuds/Soliya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Earth is plagued with droughts and dying crops and peace is no more as rumors spread all over the internet about the end of the world. Citing Heaven's Fall as only the beginning, one site makes a prophecy that cannot be ignored. Slaine Troyard will resurrect in 3 days and the beginning of the end is near.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unvanquished

**Author's Note:**

> My first legit multichaptered fic! I'm kinda plan-less again, but I hope you'll stick with me for this slightly longer ride. 
> 
> As some may have noticed, I deleted the last work I was working on, End of Paradise, because I just wasn't feeling it and wasn't happy with it. I apologize to everyone who commented, left kudos, and bookmarked. I appreciate it all. I don't really have the intention to write the 3rd chapter at the moment, but if people want, I can post my notes for how the story was going to go, like I did for people on my twitter.
> 
> I'm also happy to say that I will (hopefully) be contributing to this AZfanbook: http://goo.gl/P0Mm7W  
> Please check it out when it's done!^^

Opening the door to his apartment, he heaved a sigh when he saw that the place was completely dark. The cold of winter caused his breath to come out as white puffs and he remembered how Yuki used to blow in his face when they were young in a childish way of finding entertainment in the littlest things. Such days left along with her when she moved out to live with her new husband a year ago, but he didn’t even have time to mope over it as he gained another child to take care of almost immediately after. Burying his nose into his orange sweater, he set down his bag and the groceries he had just bought. He was weak to the cold, but that wasn’t why he was feeling annoyed that the heater wasn’t on.

“Slaine?” He called out to no response. This time sighing in annoyance, he made his way deeper into the apartment, to the living room where Slaine was surely to be.

To his surprise, the blonde was nowhere to be found there. The spot nearby the sliding doors leading to the patio was his favorite spot to kill time during the day while Inaho was gone, rolling around in the comfort of the warm sun, but the living room was empty and there was no sign of anyone having been there all day with the remnants of breakfast still lying on the plate Inaho left on the counter and the pot of coffee untouched in the kitchen. He noticed that the mail had been picked up though as a pile of letters that was not there when he left this morning was sitting on the table in the living room.

That could be read later. His priority right now was finding Slaine.

Knocking gently on the door to Slaine’s room, he called out his name again, the sound sweet on his lips, but there was no response here either. The door let out a creak as he slowly pushed it open and it revealed another empty room. He had thought that maybe he was sleeping in his own room for a change, but it seemed that he was wrong. The bed had already been carefully made, a habit from his days as a servant in the landing castles in the Earth’s atmosphere, and the rest of the room was tidily kept, though that was a simple task considering Slaine didn’t possess many of his own belongings. The only source of light in Slaine’s room was a small nightlight that he had bought for him quite a while back. Slaine was constantly plagued with nightmares and it seemed that having some sort of light by his side while he slept kept his mind clear and sleep deep. Though he ended up sleeping together with Inaho more often than not so the present went often unused.

Seeing as how Slaine wasn’t here either, Inaho carefully closed the door, the small sign on the front of his door saying “Slaine” greeting him again.

The Kaizuka apartment wasn’t exactly big so now the only other places Slaine could be was the bathroom, his study, or his own room. Ruling the bathroom out, the former Count could only be in either the study or his room. It would be sort of cute if the blonde was in his room, curled up in his sheets, fast asleep, but he was past those sorts of fantasies with Slaine now. Romantic was one of the last words that would describe their relationship.

Deciding to spare himself even a bit of hope on that front, he checked the study first, only to find that it was empty as well. He saw that the lamp for this room had been kept on though and walked into the room to turn it off seeing as how no one was using it. The scattered documents on his desk caught his eye.

Missing the UFE stamp, they did not appear to be his work documents or mission briefs, but they were dense in their words and full of specialized terms. Research papers presumably and probably Slaine’s. The older man no longer had much of an interest in research nowadays so he wondered why they were out here and why they weren’t cleaned up properly which was strange for the usually tidy man. Nothing that a short reminder wouldn’t fix. Shuffling them in line, he placed them into the top drawer of his desk, turned off the light, and left the room.

So, after narrowing down all his options, it seemed that he was left with just his own room. What an unexpected, yet pleasing outcome. He still didn’t have many hopes for Slaine to act just like a character from those shows that are so popular amongst the teenage crowd nowadays, but the blonde always did seem to betray his expectations.

“Slaine?” He called out again to no response.

This was the only place left that he could possibly be in though so he opened the door to his room and there he was, betraying his expectations just as he hoped he would.

Pale blonde hair seemingly shining even though it was dark.

An innocent face that did not look like it belonged to one in his mid-twenties or someone who had murdered in cold blood before.

Though he could not see them now as Slaine was sleeping, he could easily picture those brilliant blue eyes that easily brought him an ocean view lying underneath closed lids.

He was wrapped up in Inaho’s blankets, nose nestled deep within his sheets almost as if he was inhaling their scent. The only piece of clothing he was wearing was Inaho’s own white shirt. His long, milky white legs peeked out from under the covers, showing only glimpses, teasing him, seducing him, though Slaine probably had no intention of that.

“I’d give it a 90.” If he had to score him.

“Mm?” It seemed that he woke him up.

Slaine grumbled as he buried his face deeper into the sheets. A part of him wanted to let the blonde continue sleeping, it was a nice view after all, but it was already 7 and he couldn’t just let him sleep everyday away. And it was freezing. At this rate, he would catch a cold.

He knelt down by the bed and drew close to Slaine’s ear, letting his warm breath tickle the ear reddened by the cold.

“Slaine.”

He didn’t respond, stubbornly still trying to get just a few more winks of sleep.

“Slaine.” He repeated.

His hand pulled out of the sheets and waved him away.

“Slaine.”

Letting out a long groan, the blonde finally removed his face from the mess of blankets and turned to glare at him with those beautiful eyes. He took everything all in. Gazing at those fiery eyes that always took a hold of him and would never let go, he nodded with satisfaction.

“I’m back, Slaine.”

The blonde gave him a funny look before sighing and pulling himself up, towering over Inaho who was still crouched down beside the bed. It was almost as if he was proposing to him, though there was no ring and there was no light in this still dark room.

The blonde rubbed his eyes and flattened his hair that had gotten wild from his sleeping habits. Shaking his head to clear his head, the blonde returned his gaze to him, blue eyes piercing through him even in the dark.

“Welcome back, Inaho.” He smiled and held out his arms to embrace him.

Feeling Slaine’s arms reach around his shoulders, he let himself sink into their warmth.

 

Even in this cold, Slaine was warm. He was always warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What’s for dinner?” Slaine asked once he had changed into more winter appropriate clothes. Him only in a white shirt, and Inaho’s on top of that, was a nice look, but he had to say that this Slaine properly dressed with his dress shirt buttoned up to the top and jeans fitting loosely on his slender form was more fitting of the former Count.

“A quick stir-fry since I bought some vegetables today.” He expertly flipped the pan and the pleasant smell of garlic and spices drifted across the room. “Did you take out the trash like I asked you to?”

Slaine froze on his way to grab a drink. He sighed, eyes not straying from the pan in front of him. “Just what were you doing all day?”

“Mostly sleeping.” Slaine looked sheepish, but quickly recovered and pointed a finger right at Inaho. “It’s your fault in the first place so I don’t want to hear it, okay.”

“How so?”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night.” He smirked and lightly flicked the side of Inaho’s head with his slender fingers. “Thanks to a certain someone.”

“You weren’t complaining then.” After test-tasting one of the potatoes to confirm their softness, he quickly brought out two plates before pouring the contents of the pan onto them.

Slaine was already sitting at the dining table, hands on his cheeks and eyes narrowed in disapproval. “Tactless as ever.”

“Say what you want.”

“You know I’m right. Oh, this is good.” Slaine chewed on one of the bell peppers.

He picked up his own chopsticks. “I’m glad. It was difficult to find up to standard vegetables this time.”

Slaine’s expression darkened and Inaho could see the grip on his chopsticks tightened. “It’s...not getting any better...right?”

It’s not like he could lie to him so he nodded in affirmation. Slaine bit his lip, but did not say a word.

 

“And as riots continue in military states in the Middle East and all along the border of South America, many are questioning the competence of...”

 

Both flinched at the deafening voice of the newscaster. Inaho looked over to the living room where the TV was playing the evening news, showing clips of groups of protestors storming shops and embassies.

 

Just when did he turn it on?

 

Angry chants could be overheard, growing louder and louder with each passing moment, and Slaine squeezed his eyes shut in panic, refusing to look at the screen. Each word that came out of the speakers seemed to stab Slaine with every chant, every scream, every cry. There was no care in how it hurt him or how much it could damage him before it was all probably too late.

He rushed to pick up the remote and in a single second, the apartment was engulfed in silence once more. Only the slow ticking of an inanimate object like the cutesy clock Yuki had bought filled up the empty spaces that the two living beings left alone in the room could not. Slaine was frozen in his seat, face deathly pale and chopsticks forgotten on the table.

He set down the remote and walked up behind Slaine, placing his hands comfortingly on his shoulders, massaging them gently. Lowering his face to Slaine’s eye level again, he whispered into his ear. “Forget about it all, Slaine.”

“How can I...!?” Slaine crossed his arms to desperately grab onto Inaho’s fingers. His nails dug into Inaho’s skin, but Inaho ignored it to press his body even closer to the back of Slaine’s head. His hair vaguely smelt of cinnamon and Inaho took in a deep breath of the scent before slipping his fingers out from Slaine’s grip and wrapping his arms around his neck instead.

“Everything will be fine. Everything is fine.”

You have a nice home.

You have clothes on your back.

You have dinner prepared.

You have me.

“Everything is fine.” He repeated. “Okay, Slaine?”

The blonde finally stopped trembling and in an ever so shaky voice, echoed Inaho’s words. “Yeah...everything’s fine.”

If Inaho says so, it has to be.

Smiling to himself, he tightened his hold on Slaine’s neck and nestled his cheek into his soft hair, still inhaling the sweet scent.

 

Everything is fine.

 

 

Even if the world happened to end tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Slaine calmed down, Inaho let go of him and they continued their dinner in relative peace and quiet. He noted with dissatisfaction that Slaine had left most of his food again. It had been an uphill battle from the very start to get the blonde to eat, and he was making progress when Inaho brought him to his home, but now it seemed like he was slipping down a slippery slope back to starving himself.

The first couple months after Slaine moved into the Kaizuka household were tough ones with Slaine lashing out daily during the day and screaming in agony from nightmares during the night. Those were days Inaho missed now. He had seen it as a troublesome task at the time, but it was the foolishness and self-absorbed blindness of the young that he did not see just how lively Slaine was back during those days. With great effort, those nightmares ceased to appear and the relationship between them could be called somewhat “normal”.

Well, as normal as you could get with someone who had shot out your eye and was your bitter enemy for many years.

Just when did the cogs start to not align? When did everything start to fall apart?

That was an easy question.

 

 Aldnoah.

He had never looked very fondly upon the mysterious power. It was the source of Martian racism and the power that backed their beliefs up. A reason for conflict, a reason for hatred. While he had told the Martian Empress back when she was still a Princess that he would not hate Martians simply because they were the enemy, but he was not completely sure if he could say the same about Aldnoah.

The Deucalion had helped Earth tremendously throughout the war, but that was through the benevolence of those who ran it. They were lucky to have a person of Captain Magbaredge’s caliber to run it. And even then, the UFE higher-ups had tried using it for their own means, ignoring the countless number of sacrifices made and destruction it would cause.

It all boiled down to use.

It was energy, just like electricity, or oil. But the sheer tremendous force it could produce did much more than finite fuel sources.

It seeped its way into culture, into beliefs, into people’s lives to such an extent that Inaho had to look at as much more than just a simple power source.

Mixing and weaving such a thing with religion, something that leads people to be irrational, blindly loyal, and overemotional, was never going to lead to any good.

Especially when word gets out of Aldnoah’s...unfortunate cost.

He looked towards his side where Slaine was peacefully sleeping once again. There was no telling what Slaine would do if he was left alone again so he forcibly brought him to sleep in the same bed tonight as well. He took one of Slaine’s pale blonde hairs and played with it gently in his fingers.

To think that this was the leader of the Versian invasion six years ago.

This was the one who nearly brought Earth to its knees.

This was the one who was going to bring it to its knees once again.

The arrow has been set loose, the ball has gotten rolling. There was no stopping it.

 

 

Earth was dying.

 

 

As Aldnoah sucks the life out of Earth, turning it slowly into an inhospitable planet like Mars, there was little people could do without knowledge, power, drive.

Slaine just gave them the first step, though unwillingly.

And that’s where it all went wrong perhaps.

He should have stayed in his cage, he shouldn’t have ventured out, learning things that he shouldn’t and didn’t want to know.

While he’s thankful for Slaine’s research as it means that he is now aware of the threat that looms over the lives of his friends and family, Slaine couldn’t have been more devastated.

To Slaine who revered the Empress above all else, anything that would leave a mark on her reign was like a death sentence. The research he poured so much of himself into ended up uncovering a secret that would likely topple Martian society and the empire known as Vers with the Empress taking the brunt of it all.

It was ironic in a way that the planet the Empress loved so much was dying because of her and the power their society worshiped.

Slaine tried keeping it all a secret, burning and destroying all of his research, but it was too late.

Betrayal was almost guaranteed somewhere along the line.

In the connected world they live in, news spread like a wildfire and while some challenged the data, most were caught up in a fire of lies, hearsay, and fear.

The end of the world was near.

But Inaho was finding that he was having a harder time caring.

He had a nice home.

He had clothes on his back.

He had dinner prepared.

He had Slaine.

 

The chances of averting the crisis were slim, but he would try, he supposed. Anything to have even a second longer with him. Anything to clear Slaine’s worries and doubts for just a moment more.

 

“Inaho...?” Slaine’s blue eyes shined like diamonds under the moonlight. It seemed that he had woken up while he was lost in his thoughts.

“Mm?” He pulled the blonde’s hair closer to him and embraced his thin body.

“Did you take your pills?” His voice laced with worry.

“I did.” Every night he would take two small tablets. Doctor’s orders.

“Oh...good then.” Slaine’s fingers reached out and pressed against his chest as if searching for something.

“I have it here.” He took a hold of Slaine’s bony hand and brought it up to the necklace that Slaine was searching for. Slaine had given it to him awhile back, saying that he wanted Inaho to be the one to hold onto his father’s memento.

He could hear Slaine softly laugh before he was fast asleep once more and the only sound that Inaho could hear was his steady breathing and the rhythmic cries of crickets of the night. Even if the Earth was dying, living things still fought hard to keep going, to live just one more day.

Slaine was the same.

Even if he was plunged into the depths of despair, he still kept fighting. Even when he lost everything from his honor to his position to his name, he still kept fighting.

It was a pathetic battle, one that he had no hope of winning, but nonetheless, he kept going on.

Which meant there was no excuse for Inaho to stop here.

He couldn’t stop here.

He nestled his nose into Slaine’s hair once more and closed his eyes, embracing the darkness of the night, the moon’s light covered by grey clouds.

 

 

 

He couldn’t stop here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a simply designed website, another message is posted.

Server after server is shut down, but the website will just not go down.

It serves the will of God, some say.

It is a messenger, others say.

 

It is a warning, most say.

 

The counter burns into people’s eyes as each second passes, another second closer to doomsday it preaches.

Post after post, it makes prophecies, it makes predictions.

A site that shot into the spotlight after leaking research done on Aldnoah.

A site that prophesized the end.

An end set off by the sins of man and started from the moment Heaven’s Fall raged its destruction upon the planet.

Yes, truly it is time for the heavens to fall upon mankind.

 

The hours on the timer become 00 once more and yet another day is lost.

Another declaration is made, to have people rise, to have people act, to have people stand for the justice they seek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let it be known, for in three days’ time, Slaine Troyard will resurrect and he will rise up from the ashes once again to bring salvation to our wretched souls.

We shall not be vanquished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Morning of Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inaho meets with an old friend and the countdown begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh finally finished this. Next ch is the start of the stuff I actually want to write (oops) so I'm excited for that.(:

 

 

They were warmer days.

The sun’s rays were bright and almost blinding to the unprotected eye, but they did not burn and they did not harm. The lulling sound of cars passing by and the delighted squeals of young children added to the peaceful, still air of the room. There was nothing but hardwood floor in the Kaizuka apartment, but a comfortably thick layer of blankets was spread out across the polished floor as a cushion for their bodies as they lay upon it, doing simply nothing, yet it was the most comfort they had ever had in their entire lives.

He could hear the soft sound of regular breathing.

It was slow and steady, much like most of their days now. Slow. Unexciting. Boring. A waste of time, a waste of opportunity, a waste of ability.

And what did it matter?

Every moment, every second he spent was another memory to be made.

There could be no one to tell him that he had wasted his time when he had spent it on carving another memory into his brain. There could be no one to tell him that he had spent his time unwisely when he had spent it on another moment with him.

It could be about anything at all and he would think of it as a precious treasure. Because that’s really all one could do with another.

It didn’t matter if you were rescuing a princess or eating a good meal or rescuing the world, because in the end, all that remains is a memory. And memories are fickle things.

Time was everyone’s cruel mistress and it held nothing back as it mercilessly erased the old and beaten.

It didn’t matter if they were young or old, time would eventually bring everything back to zero. Faces would become blurred and details would become vague until one day, you’ll tilt your head and wonder if it was something that had actually happened or if it was all a daydream that flashed past your eyes in an intense yearning for something more.

There was no doubt that memories would fade, so that only made it more important to keep on making them and making ones that count. While the theory that humans only use around 20% of their brain has been long proven incorrect, there was no point in filling up one’s bank with ones about someone you can hardly bring yourself to care about.

He rolled over to let his remaining eye fall in line with the sleeping blonde. Sleeping beauty maybe, he remembered the nickname the guards at the prison used to call the former and now lethargic Count. Slaine’s hair was no longer as long as it was back then, but it still was at a considerable length that it fell across his face in crossing patterns. He had a baby face himself and it was not uncommon for classmates back when he was still in school to poke fun at him and call him “cute”, but Slaine was in a different category all together. It was a bit of a degrading way to describe the older man, especially when such a word wasn’t nearly enough to describe it all, but the only word that came to mind when staring absentmindedly at the blonde was “beautiful”.

Beautiful like the plants and trees in full bloom on a sunny, spring day.

Beautiful like the expanse of the ocean blue.

Beautiful like the petals of flowers as they wither and float away as their life comes to an end and like the last moments of a swan as it spreads its wings in its parting dance for a final adieu.

Slaine was beautiful, but that beauty came from how he was always standing on a thin line between being there and being gone.

Inaho felt that if he blinked for just a second too long, eyes weak to the suddenly oppressive sun, he would awaken alone. Slaine gone, with no trace of him left behind.

And he wouldn’t allow that. Not yet.

Not when he had his whole life ahead of him.

Memories were fickle things. Faces would fade and details would become vague. This pain in his chest would soon cease. He would think back upon this time and the only thought that would run through his head would be, “ah, yeah, there was someone like that,” and that was the saddest part of it all.

Suddenly feeling insecure, he reached out and grabbed a hold of Slaine’s sleeve, almost as if to confirm that he wasn’t a dream, almost as if to keep him right there where he could always reach. This was his own brand of chaining someone down.

“Slaine.” His name fell off his lips. It wasn’t to stir him awake; simply an indescribable need to call out his name.

Slaine, Slaine...Slaine.

He wondered who gave him that name. What reason did they have behind it? What did it exactly mean? Did Slaine like it or did he wish to be named something else?

While it’s been disproved that humans only use 20% of their brain, it doesn’t comfort him in the slightest.

The cost of the analytical engine was high and every moment was one more that couldn’t be spent on something else.

He had to be picky and choosy about what he wanted to keep sealed and locked up forever.

So, he wants to fill it up with Slaine. It’ll be for both of their sakes. He would satisfy this itch, this need, this desire, and Slaine would know that there was someone out there who would always keep him in their thoughts. There was someone out there who acknowledged Slaine Troyard.

And Inaho wanted that to be him.

“Slaine.” His voice was louder than he had intended it to be and the blonde shook awake. His blue eyes showed themselves to the world and it said thank you in return.

As quickly as they opened, he closed them again to rub them with his fingers. Squinting from the light, he plopped over closer to Inaho to dodge the sun rays. His pale white skin was slightly red from being under the sun for so long and he regretted allowing the former Count to expose himself to it unprotected. Slaine’s skin was almost like fine porcelain if you willed yourself to ignore the scars from years of abuse and torment and he wanted to keep it that way. He did not want to be another name on the list of those who had laid their hands upon him.

He pulled himself up, and then slapped his hands on top of his thighs. “Here.”

Slaine’s eyes fluttered open again and he frowned. “No.”

That was a more straight-forward response than what he was expecting, but undeterred, he tapped his thighs again with the palms of his hands. “It will be more comfortable this way, along with allowing the flow of blood to your brain to be—“

Slaine practically slammed the back of his head onto his thighs and he winced from the pain. In amusement, Slaine blew out a sharp breath of air to move his bangs away from directly being on top of his face.

“That’s not very effective.” He gently brushed away some of those pale golden locks till all of Slaine’s bangs were parted on either side of his forehead. After staring at it for awhile, he leaned down to place a kiss on it, only to be blocked by Slaine’s hands.

“You’re being incredibly disgusting right now.” He frowned.

“How so?” He mouthed into Slaine’s hands to which the blonde quickly retreated them back to onto their place on top of his stomach.

“First the lap pillow and then this. Honestly, it’s not something you’d want to see two guys do.”

“There is no one to see and thus no one to judge.” He slowly pulled back upright and opted for weaving his hands through Slaine’s hair, letting the soft hairs slip through his fingers. “And we have done far more of what you would call ‘disgusting’ things.”

“Just because there’s no one to see makes it okay?” Slaine raised a brow, pointedly ignoring the last thing Inaho had said.

“I do not see why it is not in the first place. It’s a man’s romance, is it not?”

“Pfft. That’s the last thing I’d expect to come from your mouth.” Slaine covered his own with his hands to stifle a snicker.

“It’s a concept I’ve heard more than enough about from Calm and Okisuke.”

As soon as the name left his lips, he realized with a start that he had so easily spoken of that name. A name belonging to one he hasn’t thought about in many years except on the days leading up to his death and even that was given a reminder by the plethora of celebrations and ceremonies marking the start of the second intergalactic war. He could hardly remember his face anymore.

That should be a sign of how he’s recovered from it. During the war, he had used Okisuke’s death as an excuse for the actions he took and for the blood on his hands, but now that it is long past such an era, he saw that he was no different from the Martians he had slayed.

Of course he would not apologize for what he did during the war, but he couldn’t help but become melancholy whenever he saw the dirty looks Martian officials would give him and the teary faces of children and widowed mothers as he passed by on UFE business.

That was the penultimate truth about war. On a whole, there was no winning side. Only those at the top reaped the benefits of the bloodshed, just like they did before a drop of it was ever spilt.

And the second intergalactic war was no different. The status quo was unchanged, no, you could say it was even worse. Now it was two planets suffering from the virus known as Aldnoah.

“And you’re thinking again.” Slaine smacked him lightly. “I thought you dragged me into the living room to relax.”

“I am.” As long as he was with Slaine, he could stay relaxed.

“Why don’t you go visit your friends for a change? That Calm guy or whatever seemed to call you enough.”

“How do you know about that?” It was true that Calm called often, just like Inko and the rest of his friends, but they were always made out to his personal cellphone and never the landline so Slaine shouldn’t have any knowledge or record of them.

“Yeah, I must be about as blind as a bat if I don’t notice you rushing off whenever your phone even lights up.” He rolled his eyes. “That’s probably an addiction you know. You should turn it off every once in awhile.”

“I can’t. This is an access point to information and it is highly inefficient for me to—“

“Like I was saying, you should go visit them more often.” Slaine ignored him and smirked in a way that Inaho was not fond of. “Don’t spend all your time with a dead man like me.”

“...You’re not dead.”

You’re alive, no matter what those rumors on the internet say.

 

 

Slaine Troyard will resurrect in three days.

 

 

Ridiculous. He was alive. There was no resurrecting to be done. Not that the general public knew about that, but it was certain that such a thing was impossible. You could not resurrect someone who was never dead in the first place.

 

 

Slaine smiled and reached up with his hands to cup them around Inaho’s cheeks. Fingers lightly dancing across his nose and mouth with a shaky touch. “Am I really, Kaizuka Inaho?”

Slaine was not asking about his physical state.

Was he truly alive in this cage with no goals, no ambitions, and no connections to the outside world?

Did Slaine Troyard really exist?

People were social creatures, even someone like Inaho who severely lacked a good grasp on common social cues was aware of that. If one was born to the mountains, grew up in the mountains, and died in the mountains without meeting another living soul for their whole life, would there be any proof that he was alive in the world?

Memories were fickle things. People forget, and recollections are distorted, beautified, and bastardized.

The Slaine Troyard in front of him would not be the Slaine Troyard recognized by the public beyond these walls.

So, Kaizuka Inaho, Slaine asks.

Am I alive?

 

 

“Yes. Of course you are.”

 

 

As long as Inaho willed it, as long as Inaho was there to see him, feel him, be with him, Slaine Troyard was alive in this world.

It was an excruciatingly cruel punishment. Slaine was doomed to live as a dead man as long as Inaho kept him here. He could only be alive with Inaho and while that was the greatest gift for him, it was hell on Earth for the blonde man. He could distract him with physical pleasures and sweet lies, but it would not change that.

But, he would not stop and he would not apologize. Apologies were worthless when you had no intention of stopping anyway.

Perhaps things might have been different if it was not Slaine who had discovered Aldnoah’s devastating side-effects. Perhaps it would have been different if Slaine had simply not studied Aldnoah at all. What was so wrong about studying nature instead of an alien power that had ruined so many lives and stolen away the fate of those he cared about the most?

It is all in the past though and no amount of wishing would change that.

Slaine was a nuisance to UFE in more ways than one and now with the loss of the Empress’ protection and the weight of his crimes growing heavier by the day, there were few places on Earth safe enough for the blonde.

They were fugitives in a sense.

No, they absolutely were.

Shut off from the world, away from society, in a little apartment in a remote country in South America where UFE influence was low and civilian unrest high.

They were on the run.

 

From UFE, from the Empress, from the Orbital Knights, from the public?

From the end of the world?

 

Slaine’s fingers moved gently from his cheeks to his hair, which he tugged gently on, urging him down. Smiling at Slaine’s lack of words, but pleased at his compensation in actions, he leaned down as if it was the most natural thing to do. Their breaths mingled and their lips met and Inaho decided that he was not wasting a thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With another cough, he threw up the remaining contents of his stomach, swearing silently at the taste still remaining in his mouth and throat. He spit out into the toilet before finally pressing the button to flush it all down the drain. Everything that was so disgusting was washing away to be replaced by the new and pure. He stared at the gradually stilling water, finding a peace that he could not, and all the power in his legs seemed to give away.

He must be more exhausted than he thought.

Slowly getting off his knees, he made his way to the sink to brush his teeth to rid himself of the taste of vomit. His reflection blankly stared back at him and he noted with ire that he looked under the weather and his dark circles made him look like a drugged maniac though he mused that it wasn’t too far from the mark. Slaine might poke fun at his panda eyes, but he was sure the blonde would probably be more concerned about his failing health.

He hadn’t had a reaction this bad in awhile. He might have to reduce the dosage.

Once he rinsed his mouth, he splashed his face with water that was always too cold to wake up and freshen up. He looked at his reflection again, left eye still shut tight, and clicked his tongue in irritation.

His face was leaner, his eyes wearier, and soul all that much greyer.

If Slaine was always beautiful as he danced along to his swan song, Inaho was a deteriorating mess with a clear end in sight and no means of leaving with any amount of dignity. But, he mused to himself, what good was dignity?

“Inaho?” Slaine’s voice came out muffled through the door to the bathroom.

“Yeah?” His eyes narrowed, still not straying from his reflection. Slaine always did have bad timing. Bad luck and bad timing—it was a miracle that he had even survived to wind up in Inaho’s arms, or maybe that’s why he did.

“Are you okay?” His voice was laced with concern. “You’ve been in there for awhile..”

“I’m fine.” He really was. It was just a slight miscalculation on his part, but the problem would soon be dealt with.

“Oh, oh!” He was suddenly perky. “It’s number 2, isn’t it! Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“.........”

While he didn’t want to tell Slaine the truth, he wasn’t so sure if he wanted to have the blonde leave thinking that that was the reason for his long stay in the bathroom.

His pride...or making Slaine worry.

No, such a thing was normal for humans, right? There was nothing to be embarrassed about, yet it was a bit irritating to have the former Count prance off like that when it wasn’t the case.

His pride...or making Slaine worry.

The answer was clear from the start and he cursed himself again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Slaine, I have a meeting to go to so I’m off now.” Inaho peeked his head into the living room.

Slaine frowned. “Are you sure you should be going? You were sick just now.”

He paused for a moment as he processed that Slaine was only teasing him earlier. A small, warm feeling burned in his chest and he was once again thankful for his resting blank face. It was times like these that he was reminded just how much Slaine meant to him. “I’m fine.”

“But—“

He cut him off. “I’ll leave the heater on and lunch is inside of the fridge so eat when you want to, okay.”

Slaine didn’t look convinced, but he slowly nodded, begrudgingly aware that no matter what he said, Inaho would not listen. There was little that he could say to Inaho about matters that concerned his work anyway.

“Make sure to eat.” He pressed again. He didn’t want to leave Slaine alone today after what happened yesterday, but he had no choice. “See you later, Slaine.”

After a few seconds, Slaine sighed and got up from his spot to walk over to Inaho. His arms wrapped around his neck and Inaho really didn’t want to let go of this warmth. “See you.”

Pleased that Slaine had initiated the contact, he embraced the slender blonde back. The pile of letters on the living room table caught his eye, reminding him that he still hadn’t gotten the chance to take a look through them, but it seemed that none were of much importance so he decided to leave the chore till after he got back.

They slowly parted and Inaho made his way to the entranceway when he paused in front of the door to Slaine’s room. The shine of the letters of Slaine on the nameplate on the door felt unusually vibrant. Tracing his hands across each and every curve of the letters of the name, he slowly mouthed Slaine. There might be no more use for this sign.

He preferred it that way anyway. It would also be more efficient if Slaine simply stayed in his room and they cleared this one out as a guest room, not that they ever had any visitors to stay overnight. He mused that you could say that was simply an excuse to get Slaine to agree to live in the same room as him.

He’s gotten rather greedy and he knows it himself.

Hurrying to the door, he made sure that the heater was on before he shut the door and he was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ah, Inaho! It’s great to see you again.”

The one he was meeting was Count Mazuurek. The older man’s kindhearted smile was as radiant as ever and as one of the few Counts that Inaho had genuinely liked and respected even during the war, it was comforting to know that he hadn’t changed in the past few years they haven’t met.

“It’s nice to see you again too, Count Mazuurek.”

The light haired man waved his hands in a panic. “Oh please don’t! Call me Mazuurek like before. We are friends, are we not?”

“The situation was special back then. The difference in our positions is much clearer now. It would be inappropriate for me to refer to you so lightly.” Yes, it was pleasing to know that he hadn’t changed.

He was just as naïve as before.

“We are friends! Do not worry about such things. I give you my express permission to simply call me Mazuurek.” He smiled and eagerly shook Inaho’s hand. “I owe a great debt to you, Inaho. We all do.”

He could only wryly smile at the Count’s pure eyes that made him want to turn away. “Let’s head somewhere to eat, shall we. I know of a quiet restaurant around here.”

“Ah, yes! That would be wonderful!” He smiled brightly again and Inaho could not help but think that this was how Slaine might have smiled if he didn’t go through what he did in Mars. It made him slightly bitter and at the same time, sorry for Mazuurek that he felt this way when it really wasn’t directly his fault.

Lunch was pleasant. They were seated in a distant corner away from other guests and the peace and quiet of the restaurant gave them plenty of time and opportunity to simply catch up on the years they hadn’t talked. Last Inaho remembered, Mazuurek had been exploring the deserts of Egypt. It seemed that he had been traveling across the world, a daunting task considering he knew basically nothing about the diverse countries of Earth or the languages the people spoke. Inaho found himself smiling though as the light haired man animatedly talked about his adventures. It was a show of his character that he had managed to do it at all. Both his courage to embark on such a quest and his kindness that he was turned away and instead accepted wherever he went. He wasn’t like Inaho who rarely ever fit in any group that he was put into. It took effort on the people around him to bear with him and that wasn’t something you could count on for local people you had never even met.

“When are you planning on going back to Vers?” He asked. The biggest wonder about Mazuurek’s travels was how his clan was doing on Vers without their leader. Vers had gone through many changes in the past couple years and it seemed unfeasible that he could stay on Earth during it all like he so claimed.

“Ah...” His face was crestfallen, eyes suddenly dark. “In a week or so. I’m afraid I cannot abandon my duties for much longer.”

“How did your clan function without their Count?”

Mazuurek laughed. “I have many reliable subordinates. And my clan wasn’t that prominent in the first place. There is really very little that we can do.”

“I believe your clan was rewarded greatly for your work during the war, was it not?” He took a sip of his tea and noted that the ones that Slaine poured tasted much better to his tongue. “And not to mention that two of them were banished...”

Mazuurek’s flinch did not go unnoticed.

“...Yes...It is true that the status of the clan has risen, but...” His eyes looked hazy, almost as if he was recalling long lost days. He suddenly shook his head and looked at Inaho head-on. “And that is also why I must thank you again, Kaizuka Inaho.”

“For what?”

“My clan has risen in prestige for what I did during the war, but that is all because of you. If you did not free me, I and the rest of my clan would have been the laughing stocks of Vers. I’ve also been told that without the pendant you entrusted to me, the Empress would have never escaped from Slaine Troyard’s clutches.”

He feels a flicker of pain in his chest, but his hand on the teacup remained steady.

“War would have raged on...Earth...All the beauty of this planet might have been lost forever if we allowed that savage to continue to trick Vers.” His gaze was strong, as if he had found his new goal in life.

He shut his eye, breathing in and out in an attempt to steady his nerves. Slaine had been wrong. Earth’s conquest would never solve anything, but he was not sure now that if the Empress’ rule and this so-called peace would either. In fact, it had brought upon a ticking time bomb onto the blue planet.

“And for that...I sincerely thank you.” Mazuurek bowed his head.

“Please, don’t.” His voice was sharp and he could tell Mazuurek was slightly hurt from his blatant refusal, but he couldn’t care at the moment.

He was not a hero worthy of such praise. He had simply done what he thought was right, paving the way for his own justice. He had simply done what he thought would save his friends and family. Even now, all he was doing was trying to save those who were precious to him, at the cost of hundreds, if not thousands of people.

“I’m sorry.” Mazuurek apologized though it was Inaho who wanted to say sorry. “I should not have brought it up. It’s...painful for you, is it not?”

“What is?”

“Slaine Troyard.”

His heart nearly stopped and he had to set down his teacup that seemed to fall out of his hands.

“He was the one responsible for your eye as well, correct?”

How could he have known that?

And then it hits him and he suddenly feels like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water on him. Every part of him, from his head to the ends of his fingertips went cold and his heart went even colder.

It had been a mistake to trust him.

“I’m sorry again, it was in bad taste to bring up the dead.”

“It’s fine.” How cold his voice sounds now even surprised him. “You should not fear talking about the dead.”

Now it was Mazuurek’s turn to be surprised. Both of their teacups went left forgotten on the table.

“In fact, you should talk about them.” His red eye bore into Mazuurek’s eyes, an unknown pressure setting the air heavier and heavier.

“I—“

“And Slaine Troyard is going to resurrect in three days. Have you heard, Count Mazuurek?”

“Those are just rumors! Something like resurrection is impossible!”

“I wasn’t saying I believed in them.” In the first place, Slaine wasn’t dead.

Mazuurek settled into his seat again and wrung his hands. “Even the idea of resurrection is ridiculous...You can’t bring back the dead. You...shouldn’t bring back the dead.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I try not to think too much upon the past, to be honest.” He looked down at his lap, staring blankly at his palms facing upward. “It just leaves me with regret and doubts and as a leader now, I cannot have that.”

He was displeased with Mazuurek, but he could not bring himself to genuinely hate the older man. He had been a good friend to Inaho and at heart, he was a good person as well. While he had rejected his words of gratitude earlier, he knew that whoever had it within them to sincerely thank someone like him was probably, deep down, a good person.

“Do you have someone you want to bring back?” If thinking about the past left him with nothing but regrets, he must have someone he desperately wants to see, someone he wants to start it all over with. “What would you even say to them?”

There was a long silence before Mazuurek finally gave a weak smile and spoke. “That’s what I want to know, Inaho.”

He had thought that if there was someone you so desperately wanted to see, you’d have a million things to ask them, tell them overflowing in your mind. If it was him...he’d have so much to say, to find out about that he would have to record it all down on his tablet as there wouldn’t be enough space in his brain.

“He was the one who helped me become a Count in the first place.” Mazuurek eyes looked like he was recalling a fond memory, clouded with nostalgia and affection. “I understand now that he had only done so to secure his influence over another Count, but even so...I was so grateful.”

Mazuurek picked up his tea, but instead of sipping it, he stared into the abyss of its deep color. “He was always about picking the ‘right’ side. A much better Count than I ever was. More skilled with people, politics, even Kat piloting. He might seem like a scoundrel from how I just described him, but he had nothing but his clan’s prosperity in mind in everything he did.”

It didn’t matter how others would view him if his clan—his family—were safe.

It didn’t matter how dirtied his hands must have gotten as long as he could secure them another day.

“He had a saying that went like, ‘don’t fight an Olympian sandstorm’. I thought it was funny because my Kat could make sandstorms on Earth. When I went down to collect resources, all I could think about was how I was making those sandstorms he talked about so often. Perhaps it was me whom he could not fight against then!” His eyes sparkled even as they glossed over as he talked about one who was already long gone. “Perhaps I had finally matured enough to stand on equal ground with him! Role reversal!”

He suddenly went silent and continued to look down at his lap. “...He really was a great man...He was my idol. My role model. My goal. My ideal. And...and he threw it all away.”

Inaho then realized that he was talking about the other Count that had been banished along with the Saazbaum clan. The Barouhcruz clan had also been exiled from Vers after its Count’s death in battle.

The one Mazuurek so desperately wanted to see was the Count who gave up his life and honor to go down with Slaine.

“Why?” Mazuurek voice was hoarse, but Inaho could not interrupt him. “It was hopeless. The Empress had brought peace and everything was going to be fine...! You were the one who told me to never fight an Olympian sandstorm and yet you’re the one who died fighting it!”

If Mazuurek said about Count Barouhcruz was true, it meant that he really had gone against all his previous beliefs in order to stay with Slaine till the end. It meant that Slaine had changed him to that level and that made Inaho’s chest singe with jealousy.

After a few minutes of harsh breathing, Mazuurek finally raised his head and smiled weakly at him. “I’m sorry for that. Ah, it seems that’s all I keep doing today.”

“...I do not mind.”

“To be truthful, I’m glad that he went like that.”

Inaho tilted his head, not exactly understanding why.

“He fought for what he really wanted, for who he really wanted to serve.” Mazuurek wryly smiled and his fist tightened till his knuckles went white. “I had thought that maybe I had matured to stand on the same stage at him, but I know that’s not true. I’m nothing.”

“That’s not true.” He started, but Mazuurek cut him off.

“I’m nothing more than a yes man, Kaizuka Inaho. A doll that can only nod its head.” He looked pained and silence reigned between them. They finished the rest of their tea and desserts without another word being exchanged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After they had left the restaurant, Inaho had offered to give Mazuurek a ride back to where he was staying only for the Count to shake his head. They were about to part ways in an awkward silence when Mazuurek called for him back.

“Inaho.”

“Yes, Count Mazuurek?”

“...Do you have any intention of returning to the military?”

There it was.

“Did the Empress set you up for this?”

Mazuurek widened his eyes for only a moment, before laughing softly to himself. “As I thought, you knew.”

“It seemed illogical that you would never return to Vers for such a long period of time. And of how you found out where I was.”

“Haha, I could never compete with you.”

“And I apologize, but I have no plans on returning.”

“...Even if she is in grave danger?” The smile was gone and his eyes were serious. He had said that he was nothing, but Inaho had to disagree.

“So the riots in Vers are becoming too much to handle.”

“...They are being dealt with, but the bigger problem is relations with Earth. The statement about Slaine Troyard’s resurrection was the final domino. One wrong move, and everything will be ruined.”

“I thought that you didn’t believe in resurrection.”

“I don’t, but it doesn’t stop people from talking. We believe the UFE plans on demanding the shutting down of the hypergate and an embargo on all Vers goods. Along with the forced removal of all machinery that uses the Aldnoah.”

“Is it alright for you to be telling me this when I am neither part of Vers or the UFE?”

“She trusts you.”

Well, she shouldn’t.

“...There is little I can do now or could have done even if I was still part of the military.” He sighed. Vers was more concerned about its economic crisis than the blue planet’s health.

“I’m sure that with your brilliant mind, there is some solution that we can find!”

“I’m sorry, but I really can’t.” Now more than ever, he was aware of how powerless he really was.

Mazuurek looked disappointed, but almost as if he was expecting this answer from him, backed down. “I’ll give you my card so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever change your mind.”

“Thank you, Count Mazuurek.”

“I told you to call me just Mazuurek.” He smiled.

They shook hands, Mazuurek giving him one last look before he was gone, lost within the crowds.

Inaho was left standing alone. This meeting really had just been Mazuurek settling issues he had within himself. He had simply been an observer to his struggle, just like how he always was. Nothing more than an observer to another’s journey.

 

He decided to buy Slaine a cake on his way back home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Slaine?”

The heater and the light he left on were both still on. He took off his shoes and wandered into the living room where Slaine was sitting in his usual spot, a tablet instead of a book like normal in hand. Slaine looked up and smiled when he realized Inaho had come back.

“Welcome back.”

“I’m home.” All the tension from the meeting with Mazuurek left his shoulders and he indulged in the feeling of coming home. “I bought cake.”

“Chocolate?”

“Mmhm.”

“Good. A passing mark.” He looked proud even though it was Inaho who did all the work.

“I’ll go make dinner so just wait a bit, okay.” He set down the cake on the kitchen counter and opened up the fridge only to find that the lunch he had made for Slaine was left untouched. “Slaine...”

“Yeah?” He called from the living room.

“I told you to eat lunch, didn’t I?” Seeing Mazuurek breakdown over his lost friend earlier made him scared of how he would act if he ever lost Slaine. Would he be forced to watch him wither and become nothing but bones till his last breath faded away?

“I wanted to eat with you.” His eyes were pure.

Inaho had to hold back from slamming the door to the fridge because damn it, Slaine was cute.

“...Okay. I’ll make dinner quickly...so just wait, okay. Let’s eat together.” He turned around so Slaine couldn’t see the corners of his lips twitching.

Awhile after he had started preparing, Slaine came to the kitchen and stood right beside him.

“What? You’re getting in the way.” He picked up a tomato to start cutting.

“I’ll help.”

“No thanks.”

“At least think about it a little!” Slaine puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. “Even I can cut vegetables!”

He sighed, feeling a headache come on. Slaine hadn’t been allowed in the kitchen after a certain incident that ended with a few damaged pots and pans, and the blonde had seemed fine with that so he wasn’t sure why he was so eager to help now of all days. Perhaps he had been lonely because Inaho had been leaving him alone in the house often lately?

He wipes that hope quickly away from his brain. Such romantic and affectionate gestures were not their thing.

“Let me.”

“No.”

Slaine frowned and took a knife out of the rack and bumped Inaho over with his hips to make room for himself at the counter. He began chopping vegetables and Inaho looked in disbelief at his amazing ability to not cut his hands. Yes, standards were low after years with Yuki and Slaine.

Not wanting to waste any more time arguing with Slaine about this, he settled right next to Slaine, cutting his own.

For awhile, the only sound that echoed in the room was that of slicing vegetables and knives hitting the cutting board with the occasional snide remark by Slaine who was now busy humming some pop song Inaho did not know.

“Hey, Slaine.”

“Hm?” He didn’t stop humming.

“Why the sudden interest in cooking?”

Slaine paused cutting the cabbage and then smiled brightly at him. “Then let me ask you, Inaho.”

“Ask me what?” He felt a chill go down his spine from Slaine’s smile. It was beautiful as usual, but there was something off and his fingers felt numb.

 

“Why did you lie, Inaho?”

 

“Lie...?”

His head went blank. He couldn’t understand what Slaine was saying.

“Yes. Why did you lie?” He kept smiling that eerie smile.

“Lie about what?” He barely managed to get out. Step by step, he moved backwards away from Slaine, but for every step he took, Slaine took one to close the distance.

“Everything’s okay?” He snorted. “That couldn’t be farther from the truth, now can it...?”

 

 

I-na-ho.

 

 

His mouth pronounced every syllable of his name ever so slowly that it was almost like time was stopping itself. He then violently pushed Inaho down onto the ground and he gasped out in pain.

Straddling him, Slaine twirled around the knife that he had been using to cut vegetables in his hands. “Hey, did you know? I’m going to resurrect in three days, Inaho.”

He felt all the blood leave his face.

Slaine knew.

“When were you going to tell me about all of that...When were you going to tell me that things definitely not okay?” Slaine kept smiling like an angel. Every word coming out of his mouth was so sweet like they were drenched in honey. “When were you going to tell me about what you’ve been doing?”

“You didn’t need to know.” But he couldn’t give in.

Slaine laughed wildly, tears sprouting from his blue eyes. “I can’t believe you! Even now you’re still saying crap like that!? Of course I needed to know!!”

He slammed his hand down on Inaho’s chest and he coughed from the impact. Slaine’s eyes now looked dead and he was no longer playing with the knife.

“Because of me, it’ll all be ruined again. Because of me, all those riots are going on. Because of me! The Princess is in danger again! Because of me! Because I’m alive! Because I was kept alive!! Because you kept me alive!!”

Slaine kept on screaming and Inaho desperately wanted to protest, to tell him that no, he had it all wrong, no, no, no, just no, but his breathing was harsh and his throat parched as Slaine kept a steady pressure on his neck.

 

“I should have died then, Inaho.” His voice was now monotone.

They were the cruelest words Slaine could say to him.

 

“You should have shot me like I shot you.”

No, I’m glad I didn’t.

“You should have had me executed earlier.”

No, I’m glad I fought hard against that.

“You should have never allowed them to let me study.”

No, I’m glad you looked like you were so alive.

“You should have never let me live here.”

No, I’m glad to have lived with you.

“You should have never tried to understand me!”

 

“You should have hated me!”

 

He couldn’t take it anymore and quickly hit Slaine’s elbow, causing his grip to loosen and ignoring the knife in his hands, he shot up to pull Slaine into a tight hug.

“Let go of me! I hate you! I hate you!” The knife fell onto the ground.

Slaine fought back like a wild animal, but in a way, he was glad for this. He was alive again. Slaine was alive again.

“I hate you!” He sobbed, but it sounded more like a cry for help to Inaho.

He tightened his grip and he could hear the sound of Slaine’s heartbeat. His muffled, anguished cries filling the air. His slim body trembled from emotion and pain.

Inaho wasn’t one for comforting people. You could actually say that most people were better off if he didn’t say anything at all. He admitted himself that he wasn’t the type one would go to for consoling.

He rarely ever knew what to say.

He rarely ever knew how to act.

He rarely ever knew how to convey this burning feeling in his chest.

But it was Slaine who taught him to take the first step even if you have no plan or words prepared.

It was Slaine who taught him to not fear and to trust that the other person will simply know.

It was Slaine who taught him that something as simple as the warmth of another person was the greatest comfort one could give.

 

“Even so...I’m glad that you’re alive, Slaine.”

 

Slaine froze and Inaho took the opportunity to loosen his embrace around the blonde and kiss him. It was chaste, but that was all he needed. His lips were warm and they were proof that he was alive and that was all he needed.

When their lips finally parted, Inaho took a good look at Slaine’s beautiful blue eyes up close. They were dewy, but the expression on his face was serene

Slaine smiled and his heart clenched in his chest once again.

He was about to say those precious three words when Slaine spoke before him.

 

 

 

“Good for you...because I’m not.”

 

 

 

It felt like a car hit him as he was thrown back and in the corner of his eye, he saw that Slaine was moving towards the knife that had been left forgotten on the floor. His whole body went cold in realization and he screamed.

“Slaine!”

He was desperate.

He couldn’t afford to lose him. Not now. Not ever.

He flung himself onto Slaine ramming into him, his eye shut tight.

 

They crashed and he cried out from the pain, his body protesting the sudden stress it had been put under.

After awhile, his body finally listened to his mind and slowly removed himself from on top of Slaine. The blonde hadn’t made a sound ever since he crashed into him. He looked around for the knife...but it was nowhere to be seen.

His eye scanned the kitchen floor, but still could not find it.

His heart began to sink.

He looked down at his hands and there it was. The metal stained a deep red like the color of his eyes.

 

 

Blood was all over the floor when it had not been before.

 

 

Slaine was still on his side, the blood all coming from him.

“Slaine...?” Had his voice ever sounded this weak?

There was no response from the blonde and he slowly, with shaky steps, made his way to the blonde’s side.

His eyes were dull and his face marked with a permanent smile.

He pressed his fingers against his neck, only to find that there was no pulse.

His body was cold, almost icy cold.

He stared back at the knife. The blood on it had all already oxidized, the dirty red crusting on the otherwise shiny steel.

He turned back to Slaine who was still smiling that smile he was not fond of.

He checked his stomach and confirmed that there was a deep mark there where most of the blood flowed out from. The blood flow itself had stopped. Dipping his index finger into the pool of blood, he spread it delicately across Slaine’s blue lips. With his skin so pale, Slaine almost looked like a geisha. He would have been one that Inaho would pay money for. Smiling softly to himself, he kissed him chastely again and licked his lips after he drew back.

He hung onto the side of the cabinets and weakly pulled himself up. Walking up the kitchen counter, he put the knife back in its place in the knife rack, the bloodied knife standing out amongst the other sparkling clean ones.

He went to the living room and closed the curtains. Sunlight was not good for bodies, it made them decay faster and Slaine’s skin was weak to the sun. It wouldn’t be healthy for the sun to damage it with its UV rays.

He went to the closet in the hall and pulled out a white sheet that he had washed last week after a full night of activities with Slaine. It smelled pleasant with scented detergent that Inaho had picked out himself. Walking back to the kitchen, he fluffed it out and spread it over Slaine’s body. The blood on the ground seeped into the white sheets.

Satisfied with his work, he went to the bathroom and took a shower. After the shower, he brushed his teeth and noted that his reflection in the mirror looked brighter than it had earlier on in the day. He took his pills. One, instead of two.

After finishing up preparing for bed, he walked into the hallway to his room. He paused right in front of Slaine’s room where as always, the letters of Slaine on his nameplate shone brightly even in the dark. Tracing his fingers over them, he smiled and went to his room.

Tucking himself in, he stared at the full moon outside of his window.

Slaine was one who came from the moon.

One who came all the way from the moon for him.

Almost like Princess Kaguya, Inaho mused with a small laugh.

 

Except he wouldn’t let the moon take him back like those in the story.

 

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Inaho?” One time.

 

“Inaho?” Two times.

 

“Inaho?” Three times.

 

Inaho opened his eyes and in front of him was Slaine, peering at him with those beautiful blue eyes as always. He could feel the blonde's body heat through their naked skin underneath the white covers.

 

He smiled.

 

 

 

“Good morning, Slaine.”

 

 

 

 

Two more days till Slaine Troyard's revival.

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Summer Reverie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only two days left, but they decide to go on a small trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack this took forever. Finally now after this is the start of the stuff I'm really excited to write about so hopefully updates will pick up pace.

_“And it is 9 o’clock sharp. Welcome back, thank you for tuning in. We’re you’re favorite hosts: Mary!”_

He swiftly cut the cucumbers into bite sized pieces, and then placed them on a plate already filled with freshly washed cherry tomatoes.

_“And Larry!”_

The crackle of oil catching his attention, he moved over to crack an egg on top of the sizzling pan. He was originally planning on making scrambled egg, but two yolks plopped onto the nonstick pan. It didn’t sit right with him to destroy them both, erasing them in what would essentially be a blob of yellow, so he changed plans to make a sunny side up instead.

_“And you’re listening to Apollo 110.1! Taking one small step, for that great leap for humanity.”_

He adjusted the lone ear bud to better hear. Apollo 110.1 was one of the more prominent underground radio stations. Shortly after the start of the Secondary Intergalactic War, the UFE had taken away control of all forms of media and re-granted broadcasting rights to those with UFE ties already or who were willing to sacrifice their honor as a journalist for the war effort. Such unification of information, and thus conformity of opinion and “fact”, had much more long lasting effects and even now, many broadcasting stations had close ties with UFE and content was strictly monitored and censored.

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

A simple saying, but devastatingly true.

Those who controlled information, controlled the actions of all.

_“First off, I have to say, what a lovely day!”_

_“I hear you, Mary. It’s been unbearably hot these past couple weeks.”_

_“Yesterday reached record highs in many parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East where many are suffering from heat strokes. Stay hydrated, everyone.”_

_“When it gets this hot, you really do have to ask that big question that’s on everyone’s mind.”_

_“The elephant in the room, isn’t it?”_

_“UFE still has yet to make any official statements about the issue, but we all know they’re scrambling for public opinion to return to their side.”_

It must be the general nature of human beings to say yes when they’re told no. Private and underground broadcasting stations became quite popular after the end of the war when it was clear that UFE had no intention of bringing back the freedom of the press.

Apollo 110.1 was one of such stations and while it was more of a talk show than a formal news channel, Inaho preferred the frankness they brought to the table. He had no need for sugar-coating of the issues or what people thought of them. He needed an accurate gauge of what the public actually thought.

_“So...let’s just get out with it, shall we, Larry?”_

_“My pleasure, Mary.”_

_“Is the world really ending because of Aldnoah?”_

_“What’s the deal with the Slaine Troyard resurrection stuff?”_

_“Larry!”_

_“Mary!”_

They yelled at each other for a couple more seconds for not aligning up their answers. While he sighed at their antics, he was internally pleased that they were focusing on what he wanted to hear the most.

_“Like, let’s be real. Resurrection? Impossible.”_

_“Well, yeah, but you know about all those crazy conspiracy theories out there. We’ve covered it a lot actually.”_

_“The ones that said Slaine Troyard was never actually dead?”_

_“Yeah, yeah, those.”_

The egg whites had lost their clear edge so he slid the double yolk sunny side up egg onto another plate. He cracked another egg onto the still hot pan for Slaine who was reading something in the living room as always.

_“Mary, let me be honest and say I love conspiracy theories as much as the other guy, but that’s one I could just never believe.”_

_“I didn’t say I believed in them either. There’s no merit for the UFE to keep someone like him alive anyway.”_

_“But you do want him to be alive?”_

_“He was cute!”_

_“Women!”_

_“Oh please, I specifically remember you saying that you were only glad that the Empress took over because she was hot.”_

_“I was joking!”_

_“Mmhm, bet you regret that now though. Most of us do according to some snooping we’ve done.”_

He cleaned the knife he had cut the cucumbers with and placed it carefully on the rack. He stared at one knife in particular. The one that had stabbed Slaine the other night.

Or rather, the one that didn’t.

It was sparkling clean with not a drop of blood in sight.

 

It had all been a hallucination.

 

_“Vers economy continues to plummet along with the ever decreasing amount of aid the UFE has been sending the red planet. Ever since the leakage of research done on the devastating side effects of Aldnoah usage, investors have been more than just hesitant in putting their stakes on the Empress and her empire.”_

It was all in his head.

_“Well, I don’t blame them.”_

Was it a secret desire of his?

_“Public opinion of Vers and the Empress herself are at all-time lows. With approval rates that make even the worst American president seem not so bad.”_

Did he want to kill Slaine?

_“It honestly has to do a lot with fear. It is only one research paper, scientists have been wrong all the time, but the gravity and magnitude of the issue on hand only lends itself to the situation. The heat wave that has struck many parts of the planet and has been causing droughts all over couldn’t have come at a worse time.”_

Did he want to watch those eyes gradually lose their light?

_“It’s hard to say whether it’s correlation or causation, but yes, I agree, the fear is what’s making this take off. Riots demanding the immediate removal of machinery that uses the power of Aldnoah have sprouted in countries from all over the globe like Brazil, Peru, Greece, Egypt, and many more.”_

Was he really so cold that he wouldn’t shed even a single tear when face to face with the blonde’s dead body?

_“Shouldn’t be too hard to do considering the overall failure of the project to distribute Aldnoah rights to everyone. All tech that uses Aldnoah have been mostly concentrated in UFE hubs like the United States, Japan, and Russia. All activated by the Empress.”_

But, it was all a dream.

_“The question is if UFE will ever respond to such demands. Production in those countries has nearly tripled since the introduction of Aldnoah. I do admit Aldnoah’s amazing, but...it might have been too good to be true.”_

Such things never happened.

_“While it’s still uncertain as to the true cause of the droughts, some have been claiming climate change, and NASA is still under strict UFE control, there seems to be enough signs that maybe Aldnoah is a factor and should be promptly dealt with. That is, if you believe the words of an unknown site that has the gall to say Slaine Troyard will resurrect in three days.”_

_“Well, only two now.”_

_“Two days till resurrection, folks.”_

_“Two days.”_

 

And he wouldn’t let them happen.

He shut off the program.

 

 

The more important problem now was the reason for such wild hallucinations. He suspected the drugs, but quickly dismissed that seeing as how he’s been taking them for quite some time now. If it did have such an effect on the brain, it wouldn’t have started only now.

He removed the ear buds and turned off the heat, sliding the now ready eggs onto another plate.

“Slaine, breakfast is ready.”

“Lemme guess. Eggs.” The blonde closed his book and shuffled his way to the dining table. “Knew it.”

“They are a good source of protein. You need as much as you can get to build up muscle again.”

Slaine made a face, but didn’t comment any further. Even though his skin had looked so plump and pink from spending the day in the sun yesterday, it looked a sickly pale shade now.

 

Two days.

 

It unnerved him. The claims were ridiculous, there could be no revival done, but Inaho couldn’t shake off the feeling that things would change irreversibly past that date. It was a countdown not to Slaine’s supposed revival, but of his time with the blonde in front of him.

Using the data from Slaine’s research and NASA’s data on seismic waves, he had estimated that Earth had approximately 178 years left before its core went completely dead, causing the planet to cease production of the magnetic field that protected it from harsh solar rays. The atmosphere would eventually be stripped away which would leave Earth as a dusty, barren world. It would become a second Mars. 178 years away were more than his lifetime and now that he had Slaine, he had no intention of leaving behind his own flesh and blood, though it would disappoint Yuki.

The end of the world actually didn’t matter to him.

He had Slaine and had enough time guaranteed to spend the rest of his life with him. His friends and family would also pass away long before it happened and he held no obligation to secure their children’s future, though he mused that this sort of thinking might change when one of his friends does end up producing a child. People like Inko would surely make good mothers while he was still calculating the odds Calm could find a significant other.

“Inaho?”

“Hm?”

“You’re not eating.” Slaine frowned.

“I am.” He pointed at his half eaten eggs, but Slaine’s expression remained grave.

He wondered what Slaine would think of him if he ever found out he felt this way.

How would he feel knowing that Inaho would forsake an entire planet for his sake?

He wouldn’t accept any protests or pleas. This was what Slaine had done to the Empress after all. He had no right to judge him.

“You look sick, Inaho.” Slaine stood up from his chair to place a cool hand on his forehead. He closed his eye to lean into the touch, enjoying the feel of Slaine’s soft hands.

“I’m fine.” He claimed even as his voice came out strained.

“You really aren’t.” Slaine hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say more, but he only ended up repeating what he had just said. “You really aren’t.”

He opened his eye and gently moved Slaine’s hand back, forcing the blonde back into his own chair. Slaine still looked upset so he smiled in an attempt to reassure him. “I don’t really want to hear that from you.”

“I don’t matter, we’re talking about you, Inaho.”

“Of course you matter.”

Slaine avoided Inaho’s gaze.

“How about this?” He took hold of his tablet and checked his calendar. “Let’s go out on a trip.”

“Hah?” Slaine whipped his head back.

“It seems that both of us are in need of a break.” He flipped through some pages on the browser. “How about we go to that hotel we stayed at last year? The one in the countryside.”

He had forcibly taken the blonde there shortly after the blonde had moved into the Kaizuka residence. It was when he was almost like a raging animal, too cautious to accept kindness from others and too bitter to believe in them either. He had recalled from the time on the Deucalion that the Princess mentioned that Slaine loved nature, so he decided that perhaps a change of atmosphere to a place full of that would have a positive effect on his mental state.

It had been a quaint hotel run by the family who owned it. Nearby was a small town where one could buy daily necessities and because of its location, the scenery looked almost as if modern day society had never touched it, something Slaine had particularly enjoyed even as he stubbornly said he didn’t. The highlight of it all was a beautiful field of a mix of wildflowers and flowers that the family had planted themselves. He could still remember the way Slaine’s face had lit up and the flow of his pale blonde hair in the wind as he ran through the fields and smiled amongst the multicolored world of flowers.

He remembered it all.

The soft melody of him calling his name.

The streaks of light as the sun set behind.

The sound of the flapping of wings.

The gentle lull of winds across grassy plains.

The single flower he held up in front of him.

But what was that flower again?

He was so sure that Slaine had spoken of that flower’s meaning to him. He was so sure that it had meant something so terribly important to the blonde, and yet, he could not remember it.

He could remember every detail about Slaine, from the shade of his eyes to the curls of his hair to the plentiful expressions his face could go through in the span of seconds, yet he could not remember what Slaine was trying to say.

A flash of pain nearly made him lose his footing and his head throbbed as he searched deep within his mind for what that flower was, for that flower’s meaning, for what Slaine was trying to convey to him.

“Inaho, I don’t think we should. You don’t look well at all.”

A bead of sweat crept down his neck. Perhaps he could ask Slaine what that flower back then was.

No, he couldn’t possibly do that. Slaine had only plucked one, lone flower—hurting the very nature he adored and putting out the life of one more with his own hands again. All in an effort to tell him something, to give him a part of himself.

He couldn’t possibly say to him that he had forgotten. That was like saying that the words the blonde spoke didn’t matter, that his thoughts and the strong will behind them did not matter, that Slaine Troyard did not matter. Slaine had always had his voice erased, his opinion never worth anything in the eyes of the Martians, so there was no greater betrayal that Inaho could commit than to forget—to ignore—his last attempt at reaching out to the world.

His breathing became shallow. The cogs in his brain creaked forward.

“Let’s go, Slaine.” He weakly smiled at the blonde who stared back with eyes that wounded him in their rejection of his words. “I want to see that field with you again.”

And maybe then, Slaine will grant him that moment once more.

The soft melody of him calling his name.

The streaks of light as the sun set behind.

The sound of the flapping of wings.

The gentle lull of winds across grassy plains.

The single flower he held up in front of him.

 

A simple goodbye.

It was his swan song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho checked into the hotel while Slaine observed the premises, blonde hair tucked under a large sunhat, the very one that he had used the last time they were here. The sun continued its merciless beating upon the Earth’s surface and he was thankful that there were not many people to stare at his usual attire of long sleeves and pants in such weather.

The hotel itself was bare as expected because of the mayhem occurring in the world, on top of this threat of a supposed resurrection of Earth’s greatest enemy. He noticed that the flag of Vers and UFE were no longer hanging in the main lobby. Instead there was a flag with many intersecting rings in the middle of what almost looked like a compass’ arrows pointing North, South, West, East, and all in between.

Noticing his stare, the clerk jumped to explain. “It’s the flag for Earthspace.”

“Earthspace...?”

“Yeah, the dream of Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard.” She sighed with a dreamy look on his face.

He could hardly believe his ears. The hotel had replaced the flags of Vers and UFE for a flag of the unfinished aspirations of their common enemy.

“He’s coming back in two days!” Her eyes sparkled. “I can hardly wait. He’ll come back and bring justice to us all, I just know it. The droughts will end and business can finally get going again.”

A chill crept down his spine. She was completely serious. She genuinely believed that Slaine Troyard would return, reclaim the movement that he started, and save this planet. It was pure insanity yet her eyes remained pure and earnest.

He glanced behind him to make sure that Slaine hadn’t heard a word, sighing in relief at the sight of the blonde flipping eagerly through a catalogue on the wildlife in the area. Grabbing the key and promptly excusing himself from any more rambling from the clerk, he rushed over to the former Count and urged him to follow him to their room, taking special care to stand on the blonde’s left so he couldn’t see the flag standing ominously in the center wall.

Slaine had never truly wanted that and now people like that woman were clamoring over him for something that went against his desires. They were setting him up on a pedestal that he had never wanted. They were making him the symbol of a movement that he had regretted ever starting. They were erasing the person known as Slaine Troyard for their selfish needs and he could not forgive that.

But a part of him was delighted.

People were starting to think of Slaine Troyard as alive, his presence weaved amongst them. While he was being set up as a symbol for a movement he did not want, was that not better than taking upon all the sins of the second war? Was it not better than being written off as a liar and usurper forever in the history books of two planets?

Something was changing about the way people were acknowledging Slaine Troyard and while Inaho could not decide whether it was for the better or not yet, it brought him joy that more and more were thinking about Slaine.

 

He was no longer a dead man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Alright, let’s go.”

“What?” Slaine had just settled in on the bed when Inaho grabbed his jacket.

“I said, let’s go.”

“We’ve barely just got here. I thought you were the one who wanted to come so badly?”

“I wanted to go see the field we saw last time.”

Slaine groaned. “It’s not like it’s going to run away. Let’s go see it tomorrow if you’re so eager, I’m tired.”

“The sun is only now starting to set, if we hurry, we can make it to see it by then.” It was sunset when they saw it last time. If he wanted to recreate that scenario, it had to be then seeing as how the forecast for tomorrow was rain—much welcomed to the scorched Earth, but not so welcome for Inaho who wanted to know the name of that flower.

“No.” Slaine tucked his head under the blankets in a childish form of resistance.

“Slaine.”

“I said no.” His voice came out muffled.

Putting a hand on his side, he sighed and walked over the bed. Kneeling down to make his eye level lower than Slaine, he called out the blonde’s name again. This time in a softer voice. “Slaine.”

“...I said no.”

Just a little bit more. It might be time to bring out his secret weapon.

He reached out and took hold of what he thought could have been Slaine’s hand underneath the covers, but instead found it to be Slaine’s thigh. Not a bad replacement though as he gently squeezed it, circling his thumbs into it as a form of massage. It gave him a nostalgic feeling. Back when Slaine was even thinner than before and they had just started trying to get him to regain the muscle he had lost during his incarceration, he occasionally massaged the blonde’s aching legs.

“Please?”

Slaine didn’t say a word, but he knew that he had him.

“Slaine.”

“Stop saying my name like that!” He pulled down the covers to reveal his pale blonde hair and reddened cheeks.

“Like what?”

“You know exactly what.” He narrowed those brilliant blue eyes, but Inaho could see that there was a smile upon his lips and he felt himself smiling in return.

“Would you prefer I called you Bat again?”

“Don’t you even dare, Orange.” The grin on Slaine’s face deepened.

“Bat.”

“Orange.” A smirk.

“Troyard.”

“Kaizuka.” A blank look.

“Slaine.”

“Inaho.” A wide smile that left him feeling breathless.

“Will you please go out with me?” He made sure to make full use of his lowered position, gazing up at the blonde with his remaining eye. Of course he didn’t forget to squeeze his thigh one more time.

“Yeah, go out with you to the field, right.” Slaine deadpanned.

“Where else?”

Slaine groaned again and fell back onto the massive pile of pillows that he had stolen from the other bed. Inaho noted that it was probably a silent message of let’s sleep together.

“Fine. God, let’s go then. And get your hand off me.”

“Great, thank you. Hurry up and get your shoes on.”

The former Count grumbled as he pulled the sunhat back on his head and put on his shoes. Something about unfair, secret little brother trick, or something along those lines.

He held out his hand to the blonde. “Shall we go, Sir Troyard?”

“I was promoted shortly after I almost killed you. If you’re going to do it, do it right.” Slaine teased as he took Inaho’s hand. “It’s Lord Troyard to you.”

He brought up that pale hand and kissed it. “I prefer just Slaine.”

He laughed. “You always do. And you’re the one who started it.”

“We could spice things up.”

“How so?”

They left their room.

“How about taking my last name?” He glanced over with his red eye.

“So it’d be Lord Kaizuka? You just want to sound like top dog.”

Mm, well, he saw that coming.

“As I thought, I like just Slaine.”

Slaine paused for a moment before squeezing his hand. “And I like just Inaho.”

“So we just like each other.”

Unable to stifle his smile, Slaine rolled his eyes before leaning in and pecking him on the cheek. “You’re an idiot.”

“Only with you.”

Only with Slaine could he ever talk so freely and express so easily. Only with Slaine could the world seem so bright.

“Oh please.” He rolled his eyes again then stared back at him with those beautiful blue eyes that always caged him into their abyss. “Others can understand you too. As long as you try.”

 

He noticed that Slaine’s smile looked just a little bit lonely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“..........” He bit his lip after they finally reached the spot. He had his suspicions as they climbed up the rolling hills, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. Slaine right beside him was silent, but his hand quivered in Inaho’s grip.

The flowers that had permeated this land and created the multicolored world that had healed Slaine last time were no more. Everything was dried up, dead, a somber light brown.

There were cracks of dried up dirt in the ground.

This place had suffered too from the droughts.

It was with the sinking feeling in his stomach that he realized that he would not be able to find out that flower’s name anymore.

The soft melody of him calling his name.

The streaks of light as the sun set behind.

The sound of the flapping of wings.

The gentle lull of winds across grassy plains.

The single flower he held up in front of him.

All of it was gone, slipping through his fingers as these dry grains of dirt would.

The sound of dead flora crackled under his shoes.

This was how the Earth would look like. A barren wasteland after the atmosphere is stripped away.

He hadn’t felt it so close till now.

A world on its way to ending.

A whole planet that’s dying.

As mere words, it hadn’t seemed so frightening, but to see the actual effects right in front of his eyes, to see the loss of life in front of him, to see the erasure of what he held close to his heart with him completely powerless to stop any of it—that was what true fear was.

No matter how much he struggled, there was little he could do to stop something like this.

If it was man, he could fight.

If it was a Kat, he could fight.

If it was an actual enemy, he could fight.

But how could one save something like the core of a planet?

The world was huge, the path to the center of it was impossible even with the power of Aldnoah. For all they knew, the simple scale of the liquid core could be beyond all their numbers and calculations.

What could one do to save that?

What could one do to stop an entire atmosphere from wasting away?

What could one do to save billions of people from the very source of energy they all depend on for life?

This was an enemy far above what he could fight.

“Inaho.”

Slaine squeezed his hand, returning him from his thoughts. He swerved in front of him and took hold of his other hand, bringing them up to their chests.

“Feeling scared?”

“Not exactly.” He lied.

“I’m sure if it’s you, you’ll figure out something.”

“What, you’re going to make me do it all?”

He felt a smidge of bitterness. Was Slaine going to expect him to do it all on his own?

He remembered the screams of his fallen comrades as they hurried him to find out each Kat’s weakness, to think of a strategy to counter the might of Aldnoah. Mustang 00, Kaizuka, Inaho. He didn’t hold any grudges, but when he was suffering, when he felt as if his brain might explode from overuse of the analytical engine, when he wanted to cry yet couldn’t in front of his friends and family was when he felt an empty, hollow feeling deep in his chest.

Was Slaine going to do the same as well?

Didn’t they promise they’d work together from now on? That they would face things together?

“You’re stronger than I am. You beat me, remember?”

“I had to install a prototype machine that nearly took up 40% of my brain. That wasn’t my strength alone at all.” His voice was laced with irritation.

“Even so...” Slaine moved backwards, leading Inaho deeper into the field of dead flowers. “These hands have protected far more than I have.”

“Then we can add one more to the number of those you have protected.”

By working together, by being together.

“Haha, the gap will never close then.”

“Does it have to?”

It shouldn’t be a contest.

If one more life could be saved, was that not a feat in itself?

It might seem like one more number, but to the person saved, it means the world.

And to the savior, that meant he had not lived in vain.

Slaine would not have lived in vain.

“Inaho, if there’s anyone I want to save...” His eyes closed in on him and wouldn’t let him look away. “It’s you.”

“I don’t need saving.”

I’ve always saved myself. It’s you who needs saving.

“You do. You just don’t realize it.”

The sun had set at just the right angle to shine its light into Inaho’s sole eye. Slaine’s pale blonde hair almost looked golden in its light. It was the sun that was to cause the end of the Earth and yet, right now at this very moment, Inaho could not be gladder for its continued existence.

 

It was almost like that scene from long ago.

There were no grassy plains for the wind to spread across.

There were no flowers for Slaine to pick up.

There were no birds in this air because they’ve all moved on, something Inaho couldn’t do.

But, there was Slaine.

“Inaho.”

The soft melody of him calling his name.

The streaks of light as the sun set behind.

A gentle smile.

 

He wanted to capture it, immortalize him with a photo. His left eye twitched.

He felt like maybe now he could ask about that flower and this time he would remember it for sure. It wouldn’t be betrayal, because he had never stopped thinking about Slaine.

“You’ll be alright, Inaho.”

How can you be so sure?

“You’re strong and smart. Resourceful and kind. There are so many people out there who’ll support you. You just have to reach out.”

I told you that I wanted you to be the one who supports me.

“There’s nothing that can defeat the legendary boy of Earth, right?”

“You’re a boy of Earth too.”

Though they were no longer boys, and no longer possessed the pure, childish dreams of boys.

“I couldn’t fit in that role. I couldn’t fit in any role. Neither a Terran nor a Versian.”

“You don’t have to be either. You can be just Slaine.”

All you have to be is Slaine and that would be more than enough.

I like just Slaine.

“Then let me be just Slaine.” Slaine’s eyes pleaded with him, but he could not understand what he meant by that.

Slaine’s hair was dyed a deep orange from the light of the sun’s setting. The shadows on his face made him looked anguished when there was nothing to grieve over.

“I...might have failed, but I’m sure you’ll succeed on your own. You’ll reach that happy ending.”

His tone of voice almost made it seem like he would not be a part of that happy ending.

But to him, could he really call an ending without Slaine a happy one?

“So please...Inaho...” He drew near.

Despite himself, he was reminded of the sight of Slaine’s dead body last night. Those lifeless eyes and the chill of his body.

But, Slaine was right in front of him.

He could smell his faint scent.

He could get lost in those blue orbs.

Those pale blonde locks could almost tickle him as they swayed with the wind.

He could bring him just a bit closer and he could touch those warm lips with his own.

 

 

The sound of a gunshot pierced through the air.

 

 

Time moved slowly. Slaine’s face contorted in pain and he gasped out Inaho’s name.

He felt Slaine’s hands leave his.

The sunhat fell off his head and slowly floated down.

His body collapsed onto the ground of dead flowers.

The world went white.

All white.

Slaine was smiling, no, he wasn’t. He was on the ground.

Slaine was laughing, no, he wasn’t. He was shot on the ground.

Slaine was pale. He was growing even paler.

White, white. Everything became white.

 

 

“Figures I would miss.”

 

 

He slowly, ever so slowly turned to the source of the voice.

It was impossible to not recognize that voice.

Orange, orange. Everything was orange.

The setting sun’s light made everything orange.

White, white. Everything was becoming white.

 

Everything was going back to zero.

 

 

“Miss me? Kaizuka Inaho.”

 

 

It was Slaine Troyard.

 

 

Dressed in his red Count uniform, with the Versian gun in hand and pointed at Inaho, Slaine Troyard smiled even as another Slaine lay bleeding by Inaho’s feet.

He looked over at Slaine—his Slaine—again. Then, back at this Count Slaine.

“Who are you?” He managed to get out from gritted teeth.

He had to be an imposter. Perhaps this was the culprit behind those rumors and behind the revival of the movement for Earthspace.

“Don’t recognize your enemy?” He kept smiling and Inaho narrowed his eye.

He kept repeating in his mind that this was an imposter, a fake, and yet, he knew above all else that that was Slaine’s face, that was Slaine’s regal form, that was Slaine’s voice.

 

That was Slaine Troyard.

 

But, the one on the ground was also Slaine and he had no time for this, he had to hurry up and get Slaine to a hospital. His blood was spilling onto the ground and he was haunted of the image from last night again.

“Don’t get so mad. I’m only here to take back what’s mine this time.” The ‘Slaine’ in front of him smirked.

His hands inched closer to his holster where he always kept a gun, but he stopped as soon as the sound of another bullet rang through the air.

“Don’t.” The blonde glared. “If you do, I’d have to shoot you and I don’t want to do that. Not yet, at least.”

“Who are you?” He asked again, raising his hands up to show he no longer had any intention of reaching for his gun.

“And here I thought you were a genius.”

“Answer me.”

“And a temper to boot!” He laughed again and Inaho wanted to wipe that smile off his face.

Slaine didn’t smile like that. He didn’t smile as if judging everything and everyone.

“Yet your face won’t even move an inch. Fascinating, except not really.” He dryly remarked as he stepped closer. Inaho wanted to move back, but he couldn’t afford to leave Slaine with this fake. “Just give me back what’s mine and I’ll be on my way. I do have a schedule to keep after all.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any of your belongings.”

That got him angry as he fiercely glared and Inaho felt sick at how similar his eyes looked like his Slaine’s eyes when tempers were flared.

He heard Slaine cough from the ground, blood spilling out in front of him. He had to hurry.

“I don’t have anything of yours. I have to save him so get that through your thick skull.”

“Save who?”

Was he blind?

“Slaine.”

The Count ‘Slaine’ looked at him blankly before soon bursting out into laughter.

“Save? You? You saving Slaine?” He cried out. “Kaizuka Inaho saving Slaine Troyard?”

He couldn’t get angry here for Slaine’s sake, but he wanted to.

Did he not save Slaine?

He had spared him and had secured his safety in that prison.

‘Slaine’ pointed his gun at him again, eyes dull. “You’re the last person I want to hear that from.”

 

“You’re all the same in the end.”

 

The gun went off again and he braced for impact, but was met with not a bullet but a foot as ‘Slaine’ attacked him without the gun. A sharp pain in his leg almost caused him to fall, but he recovered and was about to strike back when his whole body froze.

He willed his legs to move but they were stuck in place.

His arms were dumb and his vision went white.

Another impact and he coughed from the pain, falling onto the ground. Soon, another’s weight was on him and his hands were held in place behind his back, preventing any movement.

He was right next to his Slaine whose eyes were dull and mouth stained red. His heart nearly stopped and he couldn’t help but panic.

 

Slaine was going to die.

Slaine was going to die because of an imposter.

Slaine was going to die while he couldn’t do a thing.

 

Something tugged at his neck and he heard the sound of a chain breaking. Because of the direction he fell, his left eye that was covered with the eye patch was the one facing the sky so he could not see what was going on.

“Liar.”

His heart stopped beating.

He feels a sharp impact upon the back of his neck and soon his world goes not white, but black.

 

 

The last thing on his mind, as always, is Slaine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His head ached and it took him all his willpower to force his eye open. His vision was blurry, making him unable to see anything clearly.

He was still on the ground upon dead flowers.

Flowers...

Slaine was not there.

Neither Slaine was.

He looked around frantically, but he was the only one in the barren field.

The sun had fallen and it was dark.

He fumbled to get his tablet on and turned on a flashlight app. There was no one around.

There was no blood on the ground.

His head pulsed with another headache coming on and he forced his breathing to steady.

 

Had it all been another delusion?

Had it all been another hallucination?

 

But he feels around his chest and his heart stops.

He didn’t have the pendant.

He didn’t have Slaine’s pendant.

 

He burst into a dash, mind racing, heart pounding.

He didn’t know what was going on. There was no blood on the ground, but the pendant was missing. So had it been a delusion? Had Slaine really been shot? Had he really been attacked by an imposter?

He didn’t know what was going on.

Making it back to the hotel in record time, he rushed to his room, ignoring the greeting by the clerk from earlier. His stomach dropped when he saw that there was no one in the room, the bed looking like it did when they had left with all the pillows in the room on it.

He rushed back to the main lobby and confronted the clerk. “Did someone blonde come back to the hotel?”

Startled by his frantic voice and disheveled look, she stammered. “Y, you’ll have to be more specific than that. We have a lot of blonde customers.”

“The one who was with me earlier.”

She stared at him quizzically. “Um, you came alone though?”

That couldn’t be right.

“The one with the sun hat.”

“Sun hat?”

She was useless.

He quickly put the room key onto the counter. “I’m checking out.”

“What? You only just got here!”

“I’ll pay for the days I reserved.”

“Well, I guess it’s fine then?”

He clambered into his car and set his foot upon the accelerator. Tapping the buttons on the car, he called a certain number.

 

A UFE higher-up’s one.

 

_“Yes, how can we help you, Mr. Kaizuka?”_

It was his secretary’s voice.

“Connect me with Mr. Barnes. It’s an emergency.”

_“Please wait one moment.”_

He heard the clicking of lines switching and soon he was greeted by an older male’s voice. _“What can I do for you this late evening, General Kaizuka?”_

“It’s about Slaine Troyard.”

_“......What about him?”_

“He’s gone missing.”

 _“.......Mr. Kaizuka.”_ He dropped ranks. _“You...should get some rest. Turn in early for the night.”_

“That’s something I cannot do when we do not know Troyard’s location.”

He flinched at how easily he referred to Slaine as just his family name. He did prefer the sound of Slaine off his lips.

_“I can refer you to some doctors I know. They can help you, Kaizuka.”_

“Thank you for the offer, but I am not sick. We need to find Troyard.”

Did UFE not understand what an issue this is?

_“...We’ll look into the matter. Thank you for your work as always, General Kaizuka.”_

“It’s my job, sir.”

_“Good night, General.”_

“Good night, Mr. Barnes.”

He hung up the call and the silence was almost deafening.

He never really had a moment of true silence when he was with Slaine and he realized it now that Slaine was not by his side and he had no idea where he was.

His heart beat faster as his mind drifted over to the possibility that maybe...it was not a delusion.

That Slaine really had been shot.

But it would have been difficult to erase blood stains off that dried up dirt.

He realized only now that he failed to report about the appearance of a perfect imposter.

He could only pray that Slaine was at home.

 

 

Even as he knew that it was impossible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And impossible it was as the only thing that greeted him was the sound of the ticking of the clock Yuki had bought.

He collapsed onto the ground.

His vision went white even as the world was dark.

 

Everything went back to zero.

 

Slaine was nowhere to be found.

Not in his room.

Not in the study.

Not in the kitchen.

Not in his own room.

 

His throat felt parched and he clawed at his sides.

He promised that they would be together, that they would work together.

He promised he would protect him.

But his hands had let go of his.

He had lost that warmth.

He had lost that smile.

The last things he saw were dull eyes and bloodied lips.

The last thing he heard was his own name.

 

He shakily reached for his phone and called a single number.

 

 

After a few rings, she picked up. _“Nao? It’s 1 in the morning, what’s up all the sudden?”_

“Yuki...”

She immediately sensed that something was wrong. _“Nao? What’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?”_

“I...”

 _“You...”_ She led him on.

“I can’t find Slaine.”

 _“..........”_ She took in a sharp breath.

“Last I saw him, he was shot and coughing up blood. But I can’t find him. He might be out there suffering.“ He couldn’t bring up the possibility that he might be dead. “And I can’t find him.”

 _“Nao...”_ Her voice was anguished and he heard her breath shakily. _“Nao...”_

“Yuki...?”

 _“Nao, you have to let go.”_ She cried. _“This isn’t healthy. It's been how many months?”_

“Yuki, what are you talking about?”

 

_“Nao, he’s gone. He's been gone.”_

 

His world went white again.

Everything was going back to zero.

 

A laugh cautiously fell out of his mouth. “That’s what I’m saying. That’s why I have to find him.”

 

_“You won’t find him. No one will ever find him.”_

 

“I have to try.”

 

 _“Nao...!”_ She cried, her voice muffled with tears. _“I can’t stand to see you like this! He’s gone! Dead! You can’t keep obsessing over someone who’ll never come back!”_

 

Her words echoed in his ear and he didn’t want to hear them anymore.

A lump was forming in his stomach and his head ached with pain.

“Yuki...I have to go.”

_“Nao, wait—“_

“Sorry.”

He hung up. He sat there for awhile, ignoring the buzzing of his phone as Yuki tried to call him back.

He looked towards the clock.

It read 1:10 AM.

It was a new day.

 

 

 

 

Only one more day left till Slaine Troyard’s resurrection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
